20131009020959A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell 206L-3 · Patterson, LA · October 9, 2013

Date: October 9, 2013 · 12:30 local
Place: Patterson, LA
Airport: Patterson
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: PBVA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N54LP
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN14FA004
Reported as: Bell 206L-3
Reported engine: Allison 250-C30 series
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,450 total177 in this make and model177 in the last 90 days

N54LPRegistration cancelled Jun 30, 2014 · Bell 206L-3S/N 51466 · Built 1991 Airframe modelBell 206L-3 Engine modelAllison 250-C30 seriesTurbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot brought aircraft to a 10 foot hover, as he departed he flew parallel to the flare boom. Aircraft being in transitional lift attitude, a loud noise was heard, white smoke was coming from the engine exhaust. Aircraft lost power and descended towards water, floats were activated and aircraft submerged completely into the water. Aircraft surfaced inverted due to the floats.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT BROUGHT AIRCRAFT TO A 10 FOOT HOVER, AS HE DEPARTED HE FLEW PARALLEL TO THE FLARE BOOM. AIRCRAFT BEING IN TRANSITIONAL LIFT ATTITUDE, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD, WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE EXHAUST. AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AND DESCENDED TOWARDS WATER, FLOATS WERE ACTIVATED AND AIRCRAFT SUBMERGED COMPLETELY INTO THE WATER. AIRCRAFT SURFACED INVERTED DUE TO THE FLOATS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN14FA004Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportVenice, LAA total loss of engine power due to the liberation of a second stage turbine blade near the blade root due to a high-cycle fatigue crack and subsequent overload. Although extensive testing and materials analysis was performed, the reason for crack initiation…Oct 9, 2013 · Substantial damage